Tuesday, March 06, 2007

U.S. human rights report lists Iraq among the worst

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States, acknowledging its own record is in question, criticized Iraq on Tuesday in its annual report on human rights abuses, listing death squads with government links, kidnapping and torture...

Iraq was listed among the most problematic nations when it came to human rights abuses listed in the 2006 report, which covered more than 190 countries...

"On one side, predominantly Sunni Arab groups such as al Qaeda in Iraq, irreconcilable remnants of the Baathist regime, and insurgents waging guerrilla warfare violently opposed the government and targeted Shi'a communities," the report said.

It also highlighted the role of Shi'ite militias and security forces attached to some ministries "nominally allied with the government who committed torture and other abuses." "Predominantly Shi'a militias with some ties to the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF), targeted Sunnis in large-scale death squad and kidnapping activities," it said.